Inspired by the classic novel Watership Down, and commissioned by Dixon Place, PACKRAT is a puppet-forward new multi-media play that contemplates humanity's relationship with the natural world. Bud is a peculiar rodent with a penchant for hoarding humankind's goods. When a discarded cigar sparks a wildfire, the animals in Bud's valley flee for their lives. Bud, already an outcast among the desert animals for his hoarding instincts, gets blamed for the human-made disasters infiltrating their lives. Banned from the community, Bud must set out alone amidst the raging fire to confront human-made dangers and a few natural ones. PACKRAT is a poignant account of Bud's journey to find his place in the world, and his ultimate realization that the interconnectedness of life rules the day.

For PACKRAT, puppet designer Carlo Adinolfi created two different puppets - Desert Puppets and Dream Puppets - to inhabit this desert world. Each has its own unique and distinct style of puppetry. The Desert Puppets are modified Bunraku style puppets made from wood, wire, and papier-m ch . The Dream Puppets are crafted from bamboo and are hybrid puppets, incorporating carnival and hand puppet styles. Concrete Temple Theatre's inventive puppet-forward productions have been called "compelling" (The New York Times), "charming" (The New Yorker), "dazzling and engaging" (The Village Voice), "smart and rewarding" (Talkin' Broadway), as well as "beautifully acted and exhilarating" (Soho Journal) and "delightful" (The Independent, UK). PACKRAT features recorded narration by Vera Beren. The puppeteers are Carlo Adinolfi, Sabrina DeWeerdt, Maggie Gayford, Jenny Hann, Kayla Prestel, and Alanna Strong. The music is by Lewis Flinn.